Merriam-Webster Dictionary To Add Several Pro-Transgender Words, Definitions

According to LifeSiteNews, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added several transgender-friendly words and definitions to its lexicon in April 2019.

In an announcement, the dictionary company said the new words and definitions come as the English language changes over time.

"The English language never sleeps, and neither does the dictionary," said the company. "The work of revising a dictionary is constant, and it mirrors the culture’s need to make sense of the world with words."

The transgender-friendly neologisms are: "top surgery," "bottom surgery," and "non-conforming." The dictionary defines each word with glowing phrases such as "gender confirmation."

1. Gender nonconforming – Exhibiting behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits that do not correspond with the traits typically associated with one's sex.
2. Top surgery – A type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's breasts are removed or augmented to match their gender identity.
3. Bottom surgery – A type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's genitalia are altered to match their gender identity.

Gay Star News praised Merriam-Webster for using such "transgender and non-binary inclusive words" in the dictionary definitions.

 

The health terms Merriam-Webster added this year include: gender nonconforming, top surgery, and bottom surgery.

For gender nonconforming, this is the provided definition: "exhibiting behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits that do not correspond with the traits typically associated with one’s sex."

When it comes to the two surgery terms, Merriam-Webster specifically states these are for "gender confirmation surgery… to match their gender identity."

It is also important to note the dictionary’s use of "gender confirmation surgery." This is the more updated term compared to the older "gender reassignment surgery."

Other neologisms included were lifted straight out of the Urban Dictionary, such as the conservative-favorite "Snowflake." Merriam-Webster defined it as: "Now used to mean both 'someone regarded or treated as unique or special' and 'someone who is overly sensitive.'"

On the economics front, Merriam-Webster also added the term "Vulture Capitalism," which is typically used as a pejorative to describe "Venture Capitalism." The newly-minted term "Gig Economy" was also included.

 

1. Gig Economy – (coined in 2009) Economic activity that involves the use of temporary or freelance workers to perform jobs typically in the service sector.
2. Vulture Capitalism – (first used in the “greed is good” 1980s) A form of venture capitalism in which aggressive methods are used to buy a distressed business with the intention of selling it at a profit.

Merriam-Webster has jumped into the political fray before. In 2017, the company declared "Feminism" to be the word of the year in the wake of President Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton.

"No one word can encapsulate all the news, events, or stories of a given year," Merriam-Webster Editor-at-Large Peter Sokolowski said at the time. "When we look back at the past twelve months and combine an analysis of words that have been looked up much more frequently than during the previous year along with instances of intense spikes of interest because of news events, we see that one word stands out in both categories."